A lens including three lens elements, where an aspheric lens for correcting an aberration is provided at a position closest to an image, has hitherto been known as an image-capture lens module incorporated in comparatively-slim equipment such as a simple digital camera, a WEB camera for a PC, a portable terminal, and the like.
However, imaging elements, such as CCDs, incorporated into the portable terminal have recently and rapidly moved toward higher-density packaging. Therefore, a lens module including four lens elements has become known so as to be compatible with higher-density packaging.
For instance, each of the imaging lenses disclosed in JP-A-2004-102234 and JP-A-2005-24889 includes four lens elements, wherein two aspheric lens elements for correcting aberrations are provided on the image side. By means of this configuration, it has become possible to attain optical performance compatible with imaging elements of higher-density packaging.
However, demand grows day by day for a further reduction in the thickness of the portable terminal such as that mentioned above. There also exists demand for a significant reduction in the overall length of the imaging lens used for the portable terminal. The imaging lenses described in JP-A-2004-102234 and JP-A-2005-24889 fail to address such demands.